Lulu Meyer

Though it’s always hard to say goodbye to summer fruits and veggies, we are excited for the return of dates and almonds, apples, pomegranates, persimmons, and early hard squash varieties every fall at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. This month we are also excited to welcome a new vendor to our Saturday lineup—Lonely Mountain Farm, hailing from the Watsonville area.

It’s National Farmers Market Week, and there’s no time like the present to savor the late summer harvest while supporting your favorite farmers market. In August the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is brimming with heirloom tomatoes, sweet summer corn, juicy summer grape varietals and peppers in a wide range of colors and piquancy. Here’s what not-to-miss this month:

There's no better way to learn about where your food comes from than by talking to the folks who grow it. And with that, the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market will offer an opportunity to engage with food producers on a weekly basis starting in July by inviting you straight to the source—the farm.

Like most Ferry Plaza Farmers Market regulars, I get excited to see cherries, blueberries, and early peach varieties popping up at stands in May. And while I have been known to wax poetic about the perfect apricot, it’s the brief appearance of garlic scapes in late spring that really gets me weak in the knees.

April is the perfect time to take in the sights, smells, and tastes of spring at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. I get a lot of inspiration by checking out what the chefs are buying, so I was intrigued when I noticed Jonathan Black, Chef de Cuisine at Quince, loading up his cart this week with delicate pea shoots —blossoms still attached — and crates of rhubarb.

Since the first year of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Marketin 1993, Eatwell Farmhas been a favorite stop for market shoppers seeking out beautiful organic vegetables, fresh and dried lavender, strawberries and, in the summer months, heirloom tomatoes. They have also become well known for their delicious pastured chicken eggs. So when I spotted goose eggs at Eatwell’s stand on Saturday, I was intrigued to hear more about how they fit into the farm’s ecosystem.

After several months of braising greens, earthy roots, and winter squash, March is finally here, bringing with it the promise of new seasonal treats around every corner of the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. It’s my favorite month to explore the bright flavors of spring and challenge myself to find a new ingredient to add to my seasonal favorites. My pick for this week — Calçot onions (pronounced “kal-sot”) — comes from farmers Marty Jacobsen and Janet Brown at Allstar Organics.

Though it's only been open for a couple of months, Alta CA, the latest addition to the Daniel Patterson Group of restaurants, seems to have hit its stride. Executive Chef Yoni Levy stopped by the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market to tell me about what he and his crew have been up to and what he is most looking forward to as spring approaches.

On Saturday, February 22, Mat Schuster, executive chef and owner of Canela Bistro and Wine Bar, will be in the CUESA Classroom to demonstrate Spanish inspired ways to use winter produce. In addition to demonstrating three of his favorite dishes—a traditional tortilla, clams cooked in Cava, and a winter gazpacho – he’ll also come armed with Spanish pantry items and talk about how to use these ingredients to compliment the seasonal flavors of the late winter market.